


The Gift

by YaYaSestrahood



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 03:35:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11660790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaYaSestrahood/pseuds/YaYaSestrahood
Summary: Rachel gets under Alison's skin.





	The Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_other_lutece_sister](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_other_lutece_sister/gifts).



_ This was the last time. _

As the elevator ascended, she repeated it over and over again in her head. It was the second time she’d be visiting Rachel Duncan’s office in only a couple of days. It wasn’t something she should be making a habit of.

The doors opened, and the woman sitting at Rachel’s desk wasn’t Rachel. At least, not the same Rachel she’d met with two days ago. This Rachel saw her and smiled, and it felt kind.

“Alison,” she said, voice like honey. “A pleasure to see you.”

It was an act, of course. Rachel had turned their lives into a living hell. Rachel had tried to kill Sarah. Rachel had kidnapped poor Kira. Alison couldn’t let herself be taken in by this.

She marched, determined, head held high, straight to Rachel’s desk and slammed the offending object down.

“Tell me what this is supposed to be,” she said firmly. Rachel’s eyes fell to the black velvet box, then back to Alison. Her smile never wavered.

“Good. You received my gift.”

“Is that what you call it?” Alison snapped. “Because it looks to me like a bribe. And if this is what you think of me, that I’m, I’m so weak-willed that an expensive necklace is enough to get me to roll over on my sisters, then you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Alison,” Rachel said calmly, standing. Alison didn’t like the ease with which her name fell off Rachel’s tongue. “I assure you, that wasn’t my intention. Consider it an apology. For misjudging you.”

“An apology,” Alison scoffed. “Is that why you had it delivered through my husband?”

A small smirk pulled at Rachel’s lips.

“A bit of fun. Forgive me.”

Rachel stepped out from behind her desk, the tips of her fingers gliding delicately across the top of it as she made her way to the front. Alison stood her ground, letting Rachel close enough for the scent of her perfume to take hold in her chest. 

“I’ve taken a look through your records,” Rachel said. “They paint quite the picture.”

Alison swallowed.

“Am I supposed to be flattered?”

Rachel answered with another smile. She was keeping calm while Alison was losing her head, and it was infuriating.

“I imagine it must have been difficult for you,” Rachel said. “Discovering what you are.”

Something in Alison snapped. She took a step forward, inches from Rachel’s face.

“You don’t know the first thing about me, Rachel,” she spat, and it was too much; she was betraying her emotions, exactly what Rachel wanted. Rachel didn’t move an inch, like she’d been expecting it.

“I know you feel trapped,” Rachel said, and it struck something deep in Alison. “I know what you see when you look at them, all the lives that could have been yours.”

“You’re wrong,” Alison said, and she hoped against hope that it sounded convincing. “You think those files, that this, this entire sick experiment is enough to really understand us?”

“No,” Rachel said softly, and for the first time, her face dropped. “I admit, I was left… wanting more.”

She picked up the box by her side, flipped it open. Alison twitched. She was sure Rachel would notice the necklace a quarter-inch out of place and see, in perfect detail, Alison’s moment of weakness: the time she’d spent in front of her bathroom mirror, admiring the way it looked and felt around her neck. She told herself it didn’t mean anything, even if she’d never been taken in by expensive things before.

Rachel carefully pulled the necklace out and and stepped slowly around to Alison’s back.

“I’ll be leaving for Geneva tomorrow morning,” she said. “A quick business trip, dreadfully dull. I wouldn’t mind extending my stay, provided I had the right company.”

Alison gasped as Rachel’s hands slipped around her neck, the familiar weight of the necklace settling against her chest. God help her, she closed her eyes and let it happen.

“You want me to go with you,” Alison whispered, disbelieving.

“Bailey Downs is no place for someone like you, Alison.”

Alison’s knees went weak. She felt Rachel lean in, breath hot at her ear.

“Say yes.”

Alison shivered.

“I can’t,” she said weakly.

“Of course you can. Say yes, Alison.”

Rachel’s fingers remained pressed lightly against the skin of her neck. She could tighten her grip, and Alison realized she would probably let her do it.

“Yes.”


End file.
